In Pieces
by Starlight102
Summary: "When you're a pilot you're gonna see that in combat you'll make decisions, you have to live the consequences. That's what I'm trying to do." Raleigh has a long road of recovery after the battle on the Anchorage seas and has many battles of his own to overcome.
1. Blackout

**AN**: So here's my first Pacific Rim fic. I always wondered what happened to Raleigh after he lost Yancy and collapsed on the beach. Here is his road to recovery before he rejoins the fight to end the Kaiju war. I don't own any of the Pacific Rim characters, only my own.

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**Chapter 1: Blackout**

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"What is it, son?", the older gentleman, Charles asked as his grandson dug up a toy from under the grey powdery sand on the beach.

"It's just an old toy", Jack said. There was an upset tone to his voice. Charles had brought his metal detector out to the beach to see if they could find any hidden treasures. Out of nowhere the ground began to rumble, startling the pair suddenly. Charles and Jack both stared out into the violent ocean and stopped what they were doing. Jack dropped the old toy in shock and it partly sunk back into the sand, leaving a little imprint from where it bounced.

A 260ft Jaeger was approaching the beach. Jack had never seen a Jaeger in real life. He only had the news and the stories that his parents would tell him on a night. Stories of great battle and war. They were inspiring stories. They inspired Jack to enlist in the Pan Pacific Defence Corps when he was older. He wanted to save the world, just like those soldiers were doing.

The Jaeger, known as Gipsy Danger, had just fought a Kaiju called Knifehead. It was both a success and a failure. The pair saved a boat full of fishermen and the Kaiju had died. In spite of this, the Jaeger, and the pilots inside had suffered greatly. The pilots of Gipsy Danger, Raleigh Becket and his brother Yancy, thought they had successfully defeated the Kaiju after shooting it three times and watching the body sink back into the ocean. However, the Kaiju wasn't quite finished with the pair and it re-emerged from the ocean for one final swoop. Knifehead forcefully grabbed the Jaeger's left arm and ripped it clean from the body. The arm fell into the ocean like a heavy bag of stones. Raleigh cried in agony as he gripped his left arm. The bones were shattered and the pain engulfed his entire body.

A loud scratching and cracking sound quickly filled the Conn-Pod. Both Raleigh and Yancy looked at the source nervously to see Knifehead had penetrated the Conn-Pod. Knifehead ripped Yancy out in one quick motion, killing him. Raleigh quickly became flustered and angry with the Kaiju. The searing pain from the connection with his brother mixed with his own pain was enough fuel to fight back. With all the will left in his body, he managed to use the Plasmacaster to kill the Kaiju once and for all. Raleigh continuously shot the Kaiju, screaming out as each shot tore through Knifehead. The body finally fell under the ocean and was never seen again.

Raleigh managed to pilot the Jaeger to the stormy shores of Anchorage. It took every inch of his body and his mind to focus on getting to the shore and eventually getting back to the Shatterdome. Searing pain shot through his entire body, crippling his movements and thoughts. Piloting a Jaeger with one person wasn't common anymore. That's what sprouted the double drift technology. Two pilots would share the neural load so it wouldn't be too much for one single Pilot. After what seemed like forever, Raleigh reached the shores. The pain had now become too much for his battered body and he collapsed. Gipsy Danger collapsed with him and the crash rippled across the shore, sending the sand flying and waves smacking in the ocean.

Without hesitation, Charles started to approach the head of the Jaeger. He knew this was where they were piloted from. Jack started to follow him. "No, stay there", Charles quickly said to Jack, still keeping focus on the Jaeger head. Sparks of electricity fell from the gaping hole now in the head of the Jaeger, revealing the Conn-Pod on the inside. Charles stopped as he saw movement from inside.

Raleigh stumbled out of Gipsy and managed to stand himself up. His helmet was smashed and his armour was damaged. The entire experience had left him disoriented. Raleigh looked back at Gipsy and saw the turmoil he had left on the beach. A sharp stabbing pain caught him off guard and he brought his right hand down to his side, which was bleeding quite heavily. The deep crimson blood was staining his once white armour plate. Raleigh hadn't even noticed Charles or Jack on the beach. Everything began to go fuzzy and he collapsed onto the beach, letting the darkness take him..


	2. Dead or Alive

**AN: **Hi guys. I am SO sorry for the lack of updates with this story. I was going to post the next chapter last week but then GISHWHES started. That's basically an international Scavenger Hunt and it lasts all week. From now on there will be more regular updates. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has followed and favourited this story. I really appreciate it!

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**Chapter 2: Dead or Alive. **

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The control room of the Shatterdome was filled with frantic soldiers trying to work out what had happened on the sea, and where their pilot was. Marshall Stacker Pentecost stood firm, his body upright as he stared at the screen before him. The radar had gone dead. It had been for some time now. There were also no life support readings from either of his pilots, so he wasn't having the best of mornings. He knew Raleigh had continued to fight the Kaiju, even after Yancy had been ripped from the Conn Pod, he saw it all on the screen. Stacker also knew the effects of piloting a Mark III Jaeger alone. Raleigh was always defying Stacker's rules and the odds, so Stacker wasn't giving up on him yet. Not just yet.

"Double check", Stacker said to Tendo, pointing at the screen in front of him.  
"But sir..", Tendo began, before Stacker cut him off quickly.  
"Do. It. If there's any chance of finding that tracker, then we need to. Now", Stacker said, leaning on the desk next to Tendo. Tendo had always been intimidated by Stacker. His very presence made him feel scared, even fearful. Yet, Tendo also knew that Stacker hadn't become a Marshall overnight and when he said something, he knew he wouldn't back down. At least not without a fight anyway. Tendo began typing away frantically at the keyboard, hoping to find the tracker somewhere in or around the sea.

After hours of scanning, and even triple scanning, the team had no luck. They couldn't find a single tracker within 5 miles of their location. That only meant one thing. The Marshall stood up and backed away from the monitors. He was trying to remain professional but at the same time, he felt like he had just lost two of his children. Since the Becket's mom had died, and their dad had pretty much left them, Stacker had made it his duty to see the boys right, and make sure they were safe. Stacker still didn't want to believe that he might have failed. It made him think of Luna, his father, and everyone else he had lost. His job meant he wasn't allowed to show pain, or emotion, but that didn't mean he didn't feel it.

"Okay, listen up", Stacker said, getting the attention of everyone in the room. The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone locked their eyes on Stacker, waiting on what he was going to say next. "We need to send out some helicopters, to recover Gipsy Danger. We're going to do what we can to repair her, and if we can't do anything, then there's always scrap I suppose. You never know when you need more Jaeger parts", Stacker explained to everyone.

Stacker nodded and everyone seemed to spring into action. The helicopters were being packed and ready to go and collect Gipsy. The Marshall let out another sigh, he'd been doing that a lot today. He wasn't in a very good mood and he just wanted to retire to his cabin and he'd see the damage done to Gipsy later.

Stacker's quarters on the Shatterdome were very simple. He didn't believe in owning anything that wasn't necessary to him. He'd been that way since he was a child. His room was cold. It only had two photos up and one was of his sister. He smiled to himself and sat down. It had been a while since he had just sat, and not had to command anyone to their death. That was starting to weigh on him. He looked at the picture of him and Luna and he thought. He remembered the times when they would pretend to be piloting Jaeger's in their backyard, using toys and cardboard boxes. They'd do it for hours. Their mom literally had to drag them in for supper otherwise they would be out all night.

A knock on the door brought him back to reality, the one place he was trying to escape.  
"What is it?", Stacker said, not even getting up from his chair.  
"Sir", Tendo began on the other side of the door. "We've found him", Tendo continued. Those were the three words that Stacker had wanted to hear since the accident. "We've found Raleigh", Tendo said, his voice coming from the other side of the door. A small smile filled Stacker's face. He felt a little relief. Though, he couldn't act on that relief. Not just yet. Even though they had found him, he wanted to know that he was alive. That wasn't too much to ask. Not really.


	3. Need A Little Time

**Chapter 3: Need a Little Time **

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_Whir. Whir Whir. _The rotors to the helicopters span above Stacker's head as he was on route to the Pan Pacific Medical Centre. They had found Raleigh's dog tags around his neck after he was taken to the hospital and that is how the hospital got in touch with the Shatterdome. It was Tendo who had received the call. The journey seemed to take forever.

"Did they say if he was alive?", Stacker asked Tando. Tendo, however, wasn't the best of flyer's and was doing his best to not vomit right in the helicopter. He knew that Stacker wanted an answer and he didn't dare speak, so he quickly shook his head. The doctor's hadn't said. They had only told him that they had a Raleigh Becket in their care. That was it. Stacker sat in silence for the rest of the flight until they arrived at the hospital an hour later.

The Pan Pacific Medical Bay was the largest hospital on the Coast. Many pilots were treated at this hospital all at once. Stacker was hoping that it wouldn't be too much of a problem once he got inside. The hospital seemed very quiet. The Marshall didn't like that. He was hoping to hear lively chatter at least.

"Marshall Pentecost?", a young doctor approached the Marshall. He nodded quickly at the Doctor. Dr Williams was one of the best doctors in the PPMB. She had been there over twenty years and had treated thousands of Jaeger Pilots.  
"Where is he? Is he alive", Stacker said abruptly. Stacker knew how rude that had sounded and that wasn't his intention. The last few hours had been stressful to say the least and at this point he only wanted to know how Raleigh was doing. Stacker knew that the doctors would try and talk to him, try and make him feel calm. He didn't want to feel calm. He just wanted to know how Raleigh was doing.

"Marshall, Raleigh is recovering in the ICU after he sustained some severe-", Dr Williams began.  
"Can I see him?", The Marshall quickly interrupted her again. She could see he was going to be difficult. It was normally the patients that were the difficult ones, so it was a change of pace for her . She quickly agreed and walked Stacker to the ICU. The last thing she wanted to cause in the middle of the hospital was a scene, and she knew all about Stacker's reputation. The walk to the ICU was a quiet one. Dr Williams didn't know whether to speak to him or not as she wasn't sure of a reaction she would get out of him. She was going to let him see Raleigh first, then ask questions later.

Raleigh was in a room of his own. It was a large, plain white room, filled with various machines and pieces of technology. The only colour in there was the silver frame to his bed. Stacker stood at the window and sighed. He didn't know what to say. Raleigh was alive. He may be severely injured, but he was alive. Stacker's eyes scanned the room before him at all the equipment. He noticed the heart monitor jumping up and down, and the pulse machine beeping away. He then scanned Raleigh's body. Raleigh had bruising on his face and his arm was in a cast and a sling. A tube was down Raleigh's throat to help him breathe.

Tendo stood quietly behind the pair. He was both relieved that Raleigh was fine and that he didn't throw up. That would have been so embarrassing for him, especially in front of the Marshall. He knew that the Marshall wouldn't let him live it down for a long time either.

"What injuries did he sustain?", Stacker finally asked Dr Williams, not taking his eyes off Raleigh.  
"His left arm was shattered and his shoulder was broken. The Kaiju must have latched on to him pretty good. He had a deep laceration to the right of his abdomen, and he lost a few pints of blood", Dr Williams explained to Stacker, but he didn't say anything. He was just stood looking at Raleigh. "Raleigh also sustained a brain injury from piloting the Jaeger by himself. There was some bruising and he suffered a seizure. It will take some time, but he is expected to make a full recovery". The weight that had been on Stacker's shoulders the whole day could finally be lifted. Raleigh was going to be okay.

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**AN: **I realise I may be writing Stacker a little OOC, but hey, it's my world after all. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be up shortly.


	4. Lost and Found

**AN**: Special thanks to knightphoenix2 for the review. Reviews are always much appreciated! Sorry for the lack of updates, life sometimes gets in the way.

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**Chapter 4: Lost and Found**

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Gipsy had been recovered on the shores of Anchorage. She was badly damaged. Stacker stood on the beach, staring at the damaged Jaeger. The Conn-Pod had taken the most damage. Stacker sighed heavily. Gipsy had been one of his best Jaegers. He still wasn't sure what had gone wrong during the battle, and it only made his hatred for the Kaiju much stronger.  
"Sir, we can't find the arm", a soldier approached Stacker, who wasn't in the best of moods.  
"Keep looking", he said, not breaking eye contact with Gipsy. The soldier awkwardly turned around and walked down the beach. Stacker didn't want to hear that they couldn't find the arm. That just wasn't good enough for him. Although devastating, he had already come to the conclusion that they weren't going to find Yancy's body, he wanted to try and find Gipsy's arm and repair her as best as he could.

Stacker approached the Conn-Pod and took a look inside. The damage was devastating. The clamps that held both Raleigh and Yancy in place where damaged. Yancy's had been ripped from it's place completely. Stacker grimaced at the thought of the Kaiju pulling on him. Stacker noticed the blood on the floor of the Conn-Pod. He came to the conclusion that it was Raleigh's blood. Stacker followed the blood trail out of the Conn-Pod and onto the beach.

He quickly found the spot where Raleigh collapsed as the blood had pooled into one stain. A little metal leg stuck out of the sand. This intrigued Stacker and he knelt down to retrieve it. It wasn't a part of Gipsy as it was far too small for her. It was a toy. A little robot. Stacker looked all around him. He didn't know where the toy had come from or who it belonged to, but he certainly wanted to find out.

"Sir, someone would like to speak with you", a soldier approached Stacker. Stacker slowly rose to his knees and approached the soldier. Charles stood in the distance as the beach had been cordoned off to the public. "He says he helped Raleigh". Now Stacker was intrigued. He approached the older gentleman and smiled at him, shaking his hand. Charles nodded at him.  
"How is your pilot doing?", Charles asked Stacker curiously.  
"He's suffered some serious injuries, but he's stable", Stacker said to him. "We are grateful that you called for help when you did. May I ask, what were you doing on the beach in the first place?", Stacker asked him.  
"My grandson and I were looking for old treasures. I got a metal detector you see, and we thought the beach would be the best place to look. That's when we saw your Jaeger", Charles said softly. Stacker looked down at the toy in his hands and figured that it belonged to Charles. He handed the old robot to him and smiled.  
"Did Raleigh say anything to you when he got out of the Pod?", Stacker asked.  
"Nothing. He was dazed and confused. Then he collapsed", Charles said. Stacker stood silently for a moment, placing the story together. He shook Charles' hand once more.  
"Thank you, sir. You saved Raleigh's life and the PPDC will be forever grateful", Stacker told Charles, who felt proud of himself. Charles took the toy robot and retired back to his home. Stacker and the rest of the soldiers continued to search the beach for Gipsy's arm, but it wasn't looking hopeful.

After a few more hours of searching, Stacker called off the search and they returned with Gipsy to the Shatterdome. It had been a long day and he was tired. Stacker also felt a little disappointed in himself, but refused to show it to his peers. Tendo was waiting for him on the helipad.  
"Did you find her?", Tendo asked him, hoping for good news.  
"Not all in one piece, no", Stacker told him truthfully. "Hopefully we've got some spare Mark III pieces laying around. I can't lose Gipsy. She's a fighter". Stacker returned to the hanger bay and watched as his crew frantically worked on Gipsy. His mind wandered and he couldn't help but wonder how Raleigh was doing.

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**AN**: Sorry for the length, but this is more of a 'filler'. The next few chapters will be much longer.


	5. Numb

**Chapter 5: Numb**

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Fuzzy images filled the room as Raleigh opened his eyes slowly. Everything was a blur. He tried to turn his neck and quickly regretted is and pain shot through his whole body. Raleigh lifted up his right arm and felt the tube that was down his throat. It felt like he had swallowed a fireball. Dr Williams entered the room and saw that Raleigh was awake.

"Welcome back", Dr Williams said to him, walking to the side of his bed. Raleigh tried to look at her, but his vision was still quite blurry. He couldn't make out any detail. Raleigh touched the breathing tube once more. It was getting uncomfortable for him now and he wanted it out. "I'm going to take that tube out now, as you don't need it. Take a big cough for me, and I'll pull it out", Dr Williams explained to Raleigh. He nodded his head slowly, showing her that he understood what she had just said. She counted down and then pulled the breathing tube out of his throat. Raleigh coughed hard a few times and gasped, getting his breath back.

"How are you feeling?", Dr Williams asked him. Raleigh grimaced as he remembered Yancy being ripped from the Conn-Pod. The vivid images felt so real and the pain felt even worse. He shook his head. Raleigh just wanted them to stop. His brothers screams echoed through his head as everything came rushing back to him.  
"Yancy!", he called out, his voice sounding hoarse. He tried to sit up in the bed and was quickly defeated by the strong shooting pains throughout his body.  
"Hey, Raleigh. I need you to listen to me, okay?", Dr Williams said. "You've suffered some serious injuries and you need to take it easy for a while", she added. Dr Williams was half expecting him to put up a fight or at least try again, but he didn't. He didn't do anything. Raleigh just sat there.

Raleigh was in a state of shock. He felt completely empty inside, and he hated every second of it. Drifting with someone meant that you could always hear their thoughts, or sometimes even converse with them. You didn't have to speak with someone if you didn't want to. That was the beauty of the drift, it made you feel as one. Now, there was nothing. Raleigh already missed the sound of his brother's voice. It wasn't only conversations and voices that passed between the pair, so did the pain. Raleigh felt what his brother was going through at the exact moment he was ripped from the pod. The only description for it would be having your soul torn from your body.

Raleigh couldn't sleep. He didn't want to. Every time he shut his eyes, the images flashed through his mind, getting more and more vivid each time. He was going through Hell. Dr Williams left the room and left Raleigh to his thoughts. He needed time to grieve.

Stacker heard the news that Raleigh had woken up and took the journey to visit him in the hospital. He couldn't get rid of the guilty feeling that engulfed him as he walked through the hospital to Raleigh's room.  
"He's not up for any visitors today", Dr Williams informed Stacker. Stacker wasn't pleased by the news, but he wasn't exactly shocked either. Raleigh's world had been turned completely upside down. It was completely natural for him to want to be alone.  
"How is he doing?", Stacker asked Dr Williams.  
"Honestly? Not great. He isn't sleeping and he won't touch his food. He just sits there", Dr Williams explained to Stacker. Stacker couldn't help but feel if he had picked two other pilots, then none of this would have happened and no one would have died.

He couldn't get Raleigh's brother back, but the least he could do was give him space and the time he needed to grieve. Raleigh had a long road to recovery ahead of him, and Stacker didn't want him to endure it alone.


	6. Dreams Become Nightmares

**AN:** Thanks again to knightphoenix2 for the reviews! You rock! I wanted to let you know that we will be seeing more of Charles and Jack at a later time, and Stacker will show further gratification to the pair :)

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**Chapter 6: Dreams Become Nightmares**

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After hours of just staring blankly at the ceiling, Raleigh threw the sticky quilt from his aching body. He felt so dehydrated. He had sweat more than he thought was physically possible. Raleigh swung his body and his feet touched the cold floor. He wiggled his toes gently. He hasn't walked properly in a few weeks and he knew he was going to be wobbly.

Raleigh was walking similarly to a child taking his first steps. Moments later, he arrived at the bathroom and stopped. Various bruises and cuts were now visible over his body. Raleigh knelt down and began splashing his face with the cold water. As soon as he had done it, his body froze. His eyes frantically moved from left to right as his mind took over.

Raleigh was back in the Conn-Pod. Yancy was there next to him and they were both having their armour plates attached to their bodies. They were happy, and ready to kick some Kaiju ass. As quickly as the memory arrived, it changed violently. Raleigh was now in the ocean in Gipsy Danger.

The Conn-Pod had been destroyed and water was flushing in. He found himself shouting at the Kaiju furiously. His throat was hoarse and sore from all the shouting. He wanted it to stop. He didn't wanted to remember anymore. The images were too vivid; too painful.

"Raleigh, calm down. You're okay", a voice said to him, soothingly. He heard the voice and immediately thought it was Yancy. Raleigh looked around, trying to work out where the voice was coming from. The voice came through again, this time it was much louder.

The Kaiju ripped through the Conn-Pod, trying to get at Raleigh. He frantically removed the harness from his armour and looked for something to protect himself. He couldn't find anything. No guns, nothing. He was a failure. A dead man. "I'm sorry", he called out. Dr Williams stood patiently.

"Raleigh, can you hear me?", Dr Williams asked him. The nightmare was over. Dr Williams could tell as his body seemed to relax and he loose his grip on his body. Blood started to drip down onto the floor. Raleigh had torn his stitching on his abdomen.

"Yancy?", Raleigh asked, turning to Dr Williams. Dr Williams shook her head. A nurse, Sarah, ran in with some medication that would calm Raleigh down. Dr Williams led Raleigh back to his bed and attached him back to the monitors.

"Raleigh. You're safe. You're in the Pan Pacific Medical Facility & my name is Dr Williams. Nothin can hurt you here", Dr Williams told him. The nurse, Sarah, administered the drugs into Raleigh's IV and within a few minutes, he was sleeping. Dr Williams at least hoped he was dreaming of something much more pleasant, or not dream at all. Dr Williams sorted out the stitches on his abdomen and then left him to sleep. He's had a traumatic day and needed all the sleep he could get.

"Do we need Psych down here?", Sarah asked Dr Williams. Dr Williams shook her head and wrote some notes in Raleigh's file. "He's just grieving", Dr Williams explained to Sarah. "He just needs time".

Over at the Shatterdome, Stacker stood, looking pensive at Gipsy Danger. They were putting her into storage until technology was advanced enough as to fix her. The damages to her body were much to severe, and without her arm, she certainly want up to fighting standard. Stacker hoped that one day he would see her in action again.

Tendo nervously approached Stacker, holding a mobile phone in his hand. Tendo seldom liked to disrupt Stacker, especially when he was thinking. Tendo gulped hard. "Marshall? There's an important call for you. You should take it", Tendo said. Stacker turned to Tendo pensively. Stacker had hoped it was from either the hospital or Raleigh himself. He hadnt heard any news since he visited a few weeks ago. Stacker felt guilty about that.

"Marshall Pentecost?", an official sounding voice came from the other end of the phone. Stacker didnt recognise the voice, and it definitely sounded important. "We've got a gentleman here. Apparently he's found a Jaeger arm that you have been looking for", the voice said to him. Stacker's jaw dropped and his eyebrows raised. Could it really be the missing part to his legendary Jaeger?


End file.
